Conjectura: Filosofia e Educação
Print version ISSN 0103-1457On-line version ISSN 2178-4612
Abstract
CLOCK, Lizie Mendes; PEREIRA, Ana Lúcia; LUCAS, Lucken Bueno and MENDES, Thamiris Christine. Teaching profession in the 21st century: teacher conception about their role in contemporary society. Conjectura: filos. e Educ. [online]. 2018, vol.23, n.1, pp.77-96. ISSN 2178-4612. https://doi.org/10.18226/21784612.v23.n1.5.
Abstract: The present article presents an investigation about the conceptions teachers have regarding the role of their profession in the contemporary society. Data were collected through open-ended questionnaires responded by in service teachers from State schools in the city of Ponta Grossa, PR. The answers were qualitatively analysed by using techniques of Discourse Analysis, from which emerged three categories, namely: A) “the teacher as a changer: education in a wide sense” (31.4% among the answers); B) “the teacher as a professional of the knowledge” (49% among the answers) and C) “the teacher as a subject in charge of several social roles” (19.6% among the answers). From these results it is possible to conclude that the conceptions the group of studied teachers has about the role of their profession go beyond the traditionalist perspective that views education as a mere tool to transmit knowledge; the two more evidenced categories (A and B) recognize a wider role for the teacher profession, including the technical education and education for the citizenship. On the other hand, category C also appear in a significant proportion and call our attention for the fact that teachers are often required to play a role that is not inherent of their profession, in order to provide to young people the support for several needs not yet fulfilled by the society or even their families. This invite us to rethink the role of teachers and to invest in public policies that recognize the importance of the teacher profession in the contemporary society.
Keywords : Teaching Profession; Teachers’ Role; Contemporary Society; Conceptions.